Double Buggy - advice desperately needed

[Naddy]

Can anyone help - I have a boy who will be getting on for 3 when the next one is born. I have investigated double buggies and they seem to have weight limits. How suitable have people found them for 3 yr olds, and how much life will it have? Any recommendations for a particular one? Not so keen on board for pram which is another option - my toddler is likely to run off, plus we want something that folds up for hols. Any other options that anyone knows about? Please let me know, and where to buy. Thanks.

Why would the 3 year old need to be in a buggy anyway? Unless of course you have a long walk back from nursery and he is then tired. My daughter walked everywhere from 15months, my two are a year apart. I used a sling for the first few months as she got used to walking.

All the children I have looked after have been out of a pushchair by 2.5 - 3. Make him walk, it's much healthier and children these days seem to go from pram to buggy to car seat and don't walk anywhere, and when you decide they are old enough to walk without a buggy, they run amok becuse they have not be trained to walk sensibly from a young age. You'll soon find when you've got a baby in a buggy that then he'll insist he wants to walk and you'll have problems! Get him started on walking now! Good luck!

My son will be nearly 3 when my second child is born and I have decided not to buy a double buggy as I agree with Alibubbles. I think I will buy a buggyboard though.

Buggy boards are ok but as Naddy said my toddler too has the tendancy to run off and she has had ample opportunties to walk since the age of 2.I have a Graco Duo Stadium buggy and I use it when I have to.I mean maybe it's a waste of money to buy one brand new but have you thought about the second hand market or maybe you know someone who could lend you one.Your little boy could well want his independence but he could go the other way and want to be treated like a baby for a while on the arrival of your second baby.My other suggestion is a wrist strap,I too use one of those and basically she can't run off from me when she strapped to my wrist.I mean I have had a few comments along the lines of the child being on a dog lead which did upset me for a time but in my mind when I use it I know my child is safe and cannot get lost in big crowds on a Saturday afternoon in the local high street.Anyway I hope I have helped a little.

Peaches

I bought a double buggy and still use use it and my my two boys are 1 and three. I walk a lot as I am only two miles from town so use the car as little as poss. While I agree its important for little ones to learn to walk I think it's bit much to expect a three year old to walk four miles, he likes to walk into town and ride home. I also use the pram to exercise and the pace my three year old walks wouldn't get me fit but pushing them both in the buggy is great exercise.I expect to be using it for a while to come.If you do decide to get a double buggy I found the side by side ones too wide, difficult to manouvere. If you are not keen on double buggies. there is also a seat that can be attached to your pram I've seen them but don't know who makes them

My eldest was just under 2 when his brother arrived and as he had always been such a good walker I never contemplated a double buggy they just look so big and heavy; so we went for the buggyboard option and it has been just the right thing. Only problem was that to start with he enjoyed it so much I couldn't get him off it to walk even the shortest distance. Now, a year on we only use it for long shopping trips and he walks beside the buggy the rest of the time. Only other advice with a buggyboard is to use it in conjunction with a wrist strap.

Emmaljunga do a pushchair for which you can buy another seat to attach, shotgun style, to the front. I think it's called the Husky.

I have a 3 year old boy and a six month old. I didn't bother with a double buggy either. I bought a buggy board which I found in the php baby catalogue (www.phpbaby.com)it has two tiers unlike the other standard ones which means he can stand or sit. I find it ideal as he sits on the board facing you and so it is a lot easier to keep him captive!! The board unclips very easily when you want to go out without the eldest and it is heavy duty plastic and lightweight so you can just chuck it in the boot of the car. I thought it was very reasonable at around £40, including postage and comes with attatchments to fit different sorts of pushchair chassis.
I would recommend it.

Hi girls,
Thanks for all the info - I may give the buggy board a try for days out, although it doesn't solve one of my problems - holidays. Yes, I do agree in encouraging my son to walk and he is very well behaved when walking, but there is a limit - I also live a walkable distance (for an adult) from the town centre but a return trip would be too far, plus all the shops in between!! We also do a lot of walking on holidays plus the other requirement is for sleeping, especially overseas - I have seen too many families with kids uncomfortably slumped in chairs around hotels at night to save on babysitters - we enjoy having our son eat out with us, but when he gets tired half way through the evening, he goes in the buggy for a kip and is very comfortable. You are very lucky if you can get your child to wear a wrist strap - unfortunately I think he associates it with our dog and point blank refuses, preferring to sit down in protest!!! Based on all your comments, I think for the UK out and about I will try the board, or maybe a clip on seat for a pram, but still have to come up with a solution for overseas hols - or stay in every night!!! & we travel a fair bit ( my son has already been to Europe twice and the Caribbean 3 times!!). Chairmum - I was interested to hear about the 'Husky' seat - where could I buy one? And also Peaches you mentioned a Graco Duo Stadium - is this side by side or front & back? Also, where do you get it from? Thanks for all your ideas and comments - hopefully I'll be able to come up with something, even if one for the UK and one for hols.

Naddy, you should be able to buy Emmaljunga products from a local pushchair retailer. Have a look in Yellow Pages (under nursery goods) and give them a call to see if they sell what you want. Emmaljunga is setting up a website but it won't be functioning until Sept 7th - can you wait that long?? ;-)

HTH

Hi, again, Naddy. Here's an American site that has the Husky on it, also another pushchair, which could be by Silver Cross, called the Skippy and Joey. www.juniorplace.com/fuzzytoys/strollers.html

HTH

Hi Naddy,
My Graco stadium was brought from Toys R Us.It cost £80.00.It's the back and front style and my nearly 3 and a half year can still use it quite comfortably without feeling cramped. I know she's a bit old to be in a buggy but I have quite bad probs with her.She's run out in the road a number of times which is a really scary experience.Try the website site or Mothercare I know do their own tandem buggy too.Hope I have helped a little more.

Morgie - I've had a look at the PHPBaby website, I think the board you recommended looks really good, however, how easy is it to push the buggy with it attached? The reason I ask is that a couple of my friends have said that they find they need to take shorter steps with a buggy board as otherwise their legs keep hitting the board. I wondered if this board came out much further than a stand on board?

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all these wonderful ideas - I didn't realise there were so many options out there. Wish I'd had the internet when I had my 1st child...so many mistakes I could have avoided!!
Morgie - Hi, I've just had a look at the phpbaby site and the sit on buggy board you have sounds like a possible option for me, certainly for UK which is the important buy - will also hopefully stop my son trying to dash out onto a main road into town (fascination with cars at the moment - the closer the better!!) In your opinion, do you think it will clip onto a lightweight umbrella fold buggy as well as a pram, and will it be easy to take away on hols (aircraft) - i.e. does it fold up small and is it heavy? I guess it wouldn't be much good for sleeping though - what do you think?? Peaches - Re the graco duo stadium - I shall pop into Toys r us and investigate.... seems a good price - how small does it fold? Chairmum - I will also have a look at the Emmaljunga website when it opens and look at the Husky - I don't need anything for a while yet, not due til xmas!! Thanks again everyone - shall also be investigating waki-rider and seat2go and any other suggestions before I buy. It's great to hear from you all and to hear your experiences.

Hi. I've got twins aged 2 and a half. They both now refuse to go in their pushchair which is fine when I'm with someone else but makes it difficult to go shopping etc on my own.
Do most people find that their children don't use pushchairs after this age? Has anyone managed to find a way to persuade their toddlers back into their pushchair? (I've already deserted all my principles and tried bribery with chocolate and crisps - problem is they only last 5 minutes)
It's not the worst problem in the world - just would make my life a bit easier.

Forget the Emmeljunga tandem seat thingy. I got given one (my toddler was exactly 2 when the baby was bron) and the toddler seat was way too small. We used it once, and want to sell it! I didn't get a double buggy, I just bought a Mclaren daytripper thinking that the oldest would walk! Ha she goes in the buggy and I have to carry the baby now 6 months) in the sling. We live too far to walk to town, so this is our usual way if there is just me and the 2 of them. Sometimes she will let the baby go in the buggy, and then she holds on very nicely. We did get a buggy board but took it back, because at the time we had a Graco travel system and they don't fir on them. Finally after it collapsed with her weight on the hood we went ofr a lightweight buggy. If you d lots of walking I would say get a double, you can always dump your shopping in his seat and let him walk. Otherwise you'd have a baby, a toddler and shopping with a single pram! Not easy I can tell you!

Crunchie, Thanks for the advice... I will avoid that one. sounds like you've been having fun finding the best option too!!!!!

Hi Kizzie,
Yes my twins were also about 2 1/2- 3/4 when they decided that they were 'too big' to go in a buggy.
They carried on enjoying the supermarket trolleys however, and still sometimes want to try and squeeze in (at 4 1/2). Shopping did change...slower, and punctuated by more stops for drinks, but at the same time it got easier, as I was able to go into all those shops with stairs, escalators, narrow doorways etc which had previouslu been impossible.They've always been pretty good, fortunately. They love Gymboree as they can watch videos whilst I browse.

I'm expecting number 2 in five weeks and ds will be almost 2. I toyed with a buggy board but thought that if he wanted to sit or not run he'd be tired so would need a rest and a sit down. I've bought a double buggy for my own sanity because if ds doesn't want to do something and I have to get out of the house he'll just have to be strapped in ! If you live anywhere near Peterborough Kiddicare (www.kiddicare.com) have a gRaco twin buggy for £59, £20 for a rain cover, (£139 in Tescos)its suitable from birth, was quite light and they deliver. I'm not sure if its on their website yet but should be soon.
Good luck

Naddy and Lisaj sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I have just been surviving my first week back at work after 7 months off!.In answer to your questions -
Lisaj, I don't think the board comes out any wider than the more traditional sort, and I didn't find it to much of a problem to push. Although my husband who is 6ft found that he seemed to be stretching his arms a bit and stooping over.
Naddy, When you get the board you get various attatchment bits which I believe will allow you to attatch it to a pram as well as a umbrella style, but I think you have to try. I am still using it on my big pushchair but hope that it will fit on the Maclaren Techno that we have just bought. My son has dozed off whilst sitting on it by facing forward rather than back which has meant that he has been facing my youngest who has been in a rear-facing pushchair and he has enjoyed interacting with him and when desperate has rested his head on the pushchair seat.
Hope this helps.

Can anyone help? I stopped someone in the street because they had a 3 wheeler jogger pram with a buggy board attached. I think she said it was an 'Easywalker' which only weighs about 5 kg but looking at the website I'm not sure if my son's 3 year old head with fit through the handlebars (especially when the raincover is on). I don't want to have to buy one on-line, pay postage and have to return it.

Hi Crunchie,

I've been reading the old messages, did you mention something about being given a Emmaljunga pram?? and you aren't using it anymore??? Would you want to get rid of it or have you already??

Thanks
Christine.